Controller



July 21, 1964 5. J. NAGY 3,141,344

CONTROLLER Filed Sept. 19, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY SEMI/v 1 N46) BMW/ff? Z PM ORNEYS July 21, 1964 5. J. NAGY 3,141,344

CONTROLLER Filed Sept. 19, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RNEYS United States Patent 3,141,344 CONTROLLER Stephen J. Nagy, East Orange, NJ, assignor to Marhelite (30., Inc, Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed ept. 19, 1958, Ser. No. 762,173 4 Claims. (Ci. 74-426) This invention relates to cyclic program timers and particularly to a new and improved traific signal controller.

Traffic signal controllers commonly include a rotatable signal sequence controller of the cam drum type having electro responsive actuating means, and a continuously operable cyclic program timer for recurrently energizing the electro responsive means in accordance with a predetermined signal display program.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a traffic signal controller that may be readily assembled and disassembled, is simple and readily adjusted over a Wide range of selectable cyclic programs, and is reliable, accurate and durable in operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a controller having a cam drum that is indexed from position to position by a mechanism that can be readily adjusted to provide different extents of index motion.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a controller having a cam drum that is readily interchangeable and capable of having cams added or replaced, with facility.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a controller in which the indexing of the cam drum is occasioned by the rotation of an electric motor that builds up energy in a spring means for indexing the cam drum, and in which adjustment means is provided for varying the extent of activity of the spring means.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a controller in which the cam drum is supported at its one end by an easily removable stud bearing so that the entire cam drum and driving ratchet wheel therefor may be removed from the controller as a unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a controller in which a gravity-operated reverse stop pawl is employed that embodies as an integral part thereof an adjustable feature for varying its effectivenesses.

One aspect of the invention may be to provide a cam shaft having a ratchet wheel fixed to its. one end and adapted to receive a plurality of cams, thereby forming in effect a cam drum that may be mounted on aligned trunnions within spaced plates. One of the trunnions may be movably held within its support by a set screw so that upon removal of the set screw, the movable trunnion may be shifted so that the entire cam drum including its ratchet wheel can be removed from between the spaced plates.

In another aspect of the invention, a gear segment may be journaled on the one trunnion, the teeth of which may mesh with a pinion that may be rotated by a motor. Adjustable abutment means may be provided for limiting the degree of movement of the gear segment, and the latter may pivotally support a pawl in position to cooperate with the ratchet wheel that is connected to the cam drum. Resilient means may be provided between the gear segment and the plate supporting it, which acts to oppose the rotation of the motor and therefore to store up energy therein when the motor moves the gear segment. The construction may be such that when the gear segment reaches its extent of motorized movement, the motor is de-energized, whereupon the resilient means forces the gear segment in an opposite direction, thereby causing the pawl thereon to index the cam drum accordingly.

In another aspect of the invention, a gravity-operated pawl may be mounted on an adjustable trunnion for coopice eration with the cam drum ratchet wheel to prevent its reverse rotation.

The above as well as other objects, novel features and advantages will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings which are merely exemplary.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view on a substantially reduced scale of a trafiic controller to which the principles of the invention have been applied;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional, elevational view of a portion of the traffic controller shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional, elevational View taken substantially along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional, elevational View taken substantially along line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the cam drum in partially removed condition; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 1, a housing 10 may encase a platform 11 pivotally supported by a bracket 12 to a slide 13 that may be mounted for reciprocable movement along track means 14 mounted on one side Wall of the housing 10.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 6, the platform 11 may support spaced brackets 15 and 16 having supports 17 and 18 thereon, respectively, for supporting a contact mounting strip 19. Make-break contacts 20 may be located along the strip 19 and they may include a hinge contact 21 and a fixed contact 22 in aligned relation and fixed to the strip 19. A retaining key 23 may slidingly extend through a slot Within the strip 19 and it may be forced downwardly by a spring 24 acting on the bottom of strip 19 and a nut 25 at the lower end of the key 23. A contact finger 26 may be connected to the retaining key 23 and may include a rear contact for engagement with the hinge contact 21, and a forward contact adapted normally to lie in closed condition with the fixed contact 22.

A cam shaft 27 is mounted between the plates 15 and 16 on aligned trunnion means. One of the aligned trunnions 28 is rigidly fixed to plate 15 (FIG. 5) by a nut 29. The other aligned trunnion 30 is slidingly held Within a boss 31 that is mounted on plate 16 by a set screw 32. The shaft 27 may be of any cross-sectional form and is shown substantially square in the drawings. It may include axially aligned holes 33 within each of its ends for bearing on trunnions 28 and 30. A ratchet wheel 34 may be fixed to one end of cam shaft 27 and it is shown fixed to the end of shaft 27 adjacent the plate 15.

Cams 35 may be mounted on the shaft 27 and fixed thereto by set screws contacting a flattened portion 27 thereon so that all cams may be located accurately relatively to each other. Each cam 35 may be located in alignment with a corresponding contact finger 26, and may include break-out portions 36 for forming a predetermined pattern about the periphery of the cam for actuating the finger 26 in accordance therewith.

From the foregoing it is evident that the entire cam shaft 27, cams 35 and ratchet wheel 34 may be removed as a unit by simply loosening screw 32 and sliding trunnion 30 rightwardly until the righthand end of shaft 27 clears the lefthand end of trunnion 39. In this manner, cams 35 may be added, replaced or adjusted with ease. Replacement of the cam shaft 2'7 can be effected by engaging the lefthand hole therein with the trunnion 28 and pivoting the shaft into alignment with the trunnion 30. The trunnion 36 should then be moved leftwardly until a shoulder 37 is approximately .Ol5.025 inch from the righthand end of shaft 27 in order to prevent binding during operation thereof.

Indexing of the cam shaft 27 is adapted to be effected by a pawl 38 pivotally mounted on a pin 39 fixed to an oscillatable gear segment 40 by a nut 39. The pawl 33 may be urged into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 34 by a torsion spring 38'. The gear segment 41 may be provided with a boss 41 that is journaled on bearings 42 on trunnion 28. A coil spring 43 may surround the boss 41. One of the free ends 44 of spring 43 engages the pin 3% that supports the pawl 38, and the other free end 45 engages a stop 46 for limiting the clockwise motion of the gear segment 40. The stop 46 is provided with an eccentrically located, threaded portion 47 (FIG. 6) that extends through the plate and may be held in a predetermined adjusted position about its axis by a nut 48 (FIG. 2) for a purpose to be described later.

Another stop 49 may be provided with a portion of reduced diameter that may pass through a slot Stl within plate 15, and a screw 51 may lock the stop 49 in any adjusted position along the slot 50. A rubber or other resilient sleeve 52 may be held onto the stop 49 by a screw 53 that is threaded into the free end of the stop 49.

From the foregoing it is evident that the throw of the gear segment 40 may be controlled to thereby adjust the relationship between the pawl 38 and the ratchet wheel 34. Accordingly, a zeroing adjustment can be efiected between the operation of the gear segment 46 and the action of the lands 36 on cams 35 relatively to the contact fingers 26.

In order to prevent reverse movement of the ratchet wheel 34, a gravity-operated reverse stop lever 54 is provided. It may include a notch 55 at the end of one of its arms to engage a tooth on ratchet 34 in a manner to prevent counterclockwise movement of the ratchet while permitting its clockwise movement. The other arm of bell crank lever 54 may include a Weight 56 at its free end tending to cause the bell crank 54 to rotate always in a counterclockwise direction.

In order to provide an adjustment for the lever 54, a boss 57 may be releasably fixed to the plate 115 in a manner to permit its rotation about an axial centerline. A threaded hole may be eccentrically located in the free end of the boss 57 for receiving a shouldered screw 58 that may hold the bell crank lever 54 onto the boss 57 in a manner to permit its free oscillatable motion.

A spur gear 59 may mesh with the teeth on the gear segment 40 and the former may be driven by a motor 60 mounted on the plate 15 by spaced standards 61 (FIG. 2), only one being shown. The construction and arrangement of the parts are such that upon the elapse of a predetermined time interval, an advance stacker switch is operated by a timing dial (not shown) which energizes the motor 60, causing gear segment 49 to be moved in a counterclockwise direction (FIG. 6) until it contacts the rubber or resilient bumper stop 52, causing pawl 38 to advance over one or more teeth on the ratchet wheel 34 and winding up spring 43. The gear segment 49 remains in this position until the timing dial (not shown) revolves enough to break the contact for the motor circuit, whereupon the spring 43 moves the gear segment in a clockwise direction until it contacts stop 46. This action causes pawl 38 to rotate ratchet wheel 34 (FIG. 6)

in a clockwise direction, and notch 55 merely rides over the tooth or teeth thereof. At the end of the clockwise motion of ratchet wheel 34, notch 55 engages a tooth thereof, preventing reverse rotation of the ratchet wheel due to vibrations or when the pawl 33 is moved in a counterclockwise direction in preparation for the next succeeding indexing of the ratchet wheel.

Although the various features of the motor driven, ratchet operated cam drum for traffic controllers have been shown and described to fully disclose the details of one embodiment of the invention, it will be evident that numerous changes may be made in such details and certain features may be used without others without departin g from the principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a trafiic controller, a base; spaced support means mounted on said base; a cam drum mounted between said spaced support means for step-by-step movement; a ratchet wheel fixed to said cam drum; means for indexing said cam drum comprising an oscillatable gear segment; a pawl pivotally attached to said gear segment and cooperable with said ratchet; a pinion meshing with the teeth of said gear segment; adjustable means for limiting the extent of movement of said oscillatable gear segment; means including a motor for rotating said pinion to move the gear segment in one direction toward a position in which the gear segment engages one of said limiting means and for maintaining said gear segment in said position when said motor is energized; resilient means between one of said support means and said gear segment for storing up energy when said motor moves said gear segment in said one direction; and a reverse stop lever adapted to cooperate with said ratchet wheel for preventing the reverse turning of said cam drum.

2. In a traffic controller, a base; spaced support means mounted on said base; a cam drum mounted between said spaced support means for step-by-step movement; a ratchet Wheel fixed to said cam drum; means for indexing said cam drum comprising an oscillatable gear segment; a pawl pivotally attached to said gear segment and cooperable with said ratchet; a pinion meshing with the teeth of said gear segment; separate adjustable means for limiting the extent of movement of said oscillatable gear segment in both directions; means including a motor for rotating said pinion to move the gear segment in one direction toward a position in which the gear segment engages one of said limiting means and for maintaining said gear segment in said position when said motor is energized; and resilient means between one of said support means and said gear segment for storing up energy when said motor moves said gear segment in said one direction.

3. In a traflic controller, a base; spaced support means mounted on said base; a cam drum mounted between said spaced support means for step-by-step movement; a ratchet wheel fixed to said cam drum; means for indexing said cam drum comprising an oscillatable gear segment; a pawl pivotally attached to said gear segment and cooperable with said ratchet; a pinion meshing with the teeth of said gear segment; separate adjustable means for limiting the extent of movement of said oscillatable gear seg ment in both directions; means including a motor for rotating said pinion to move the gear segment in one direction toward a position in which the gear segment engages one of said limiting means and for maintaining said gear segment in said position when said motor is energized; resilient means between one of said support means and said gear segment for storing up energy when said motor moves said gear segment in said one direction; and a gravity-operated reverse stop lever adapted to cooperate with said ratchet wheel for preventing the reverse turning of said cam drum.

4. In a tralfic controller, a base; spaced support means mounted on said base; trunnion means mounted on said spaced support means in axial alignment; means for releasably locking one of said trunnion means in axially adjustable positions; a cam shaft having a ratchet wheel fixed thereto and having aligned holes therein for receiving said trunnion means; means for indexing said cam shaft comprising an oscillatable gear segment journalled on the other of said trunnion means; a pawl pivotally attached to said gear segment and cooperable with said ratchet; a pinion meshing with the teeth of said gear segment; adjustable means for limiting the movement of said oscillatable gear segment; means including a motor for rotating said pinion to move the gear segment in one direction toward a position in which the gear segment engages one of said limiting means and for maintaining said gear segment in said position when said motor is energized; resilient means between one of said support means and said gear segment for storing up energy when said motor moves said gear segment in said one direction; and a reverse stop lever adapted to cooperate with said ratchet wheel for preventing the reverse turning of said cam shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Warner Aug. 9, 1878 Seachrish Oct. 22, 1878 Sheldon Dec. 30, 1890 Smith et a1 June 3, 1902 Echols June 23, 1903 R008 Oct. 22, 1912 Cook 1- Aug. 14, 1934 6 Nelsen et a1. Aug. 29, 1939 Kearns Oct. 3, 1939 Reid Mar. 25, 1941 Fassin Dec. 26, 1944 Constantine Mar. 1, 1955 Guth Aug. 20, 1957 Ostrander Dec. 24, 1957 Geder Dec. 31, 1957 Davies et a1. Jan. 21, 1958 Smith Apr. 8, 1958 Clark Oct. 7, 1958 Juhas Dec. 15, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Feb. 4, 1885 

1. IN A TRAFFIC CONTROLLER, A BASE; SPACED SUPPORT MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID BASE; A CAM DRUM MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID SPACED SUPPORT MEANS FOR STEP-BY-STEP MOVEMENT; A RATCHET WHEEL FIXED TO SAID CAM DRUM; MEANS FOR INDEXING SAID CAM DRUM COMPRISING AN OSCILLATABLE GEAR SEGMENT; A PAWL PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO SAID GEAR SEGMENT AND COOPERABLE WITH SAID RATCHET; A PINION MESHING WITH THE TEETH OF SAID GEAR SEGMENT; ADJUSTABLE MEANS FOR LIMITING THE EXTENT OF MOVEMENT OF SAID OSCILLATABLE GEAR SEGMENT; MEANS INCLUDING A MOTOR FOR ROTATING SAID PINION TO MOVE THE GEAR SEGMENT IN ONE DIRECTION TOWARD A POSITION IN WHICH THE GEAR SEGMENT ENGAGES ONE OF SAID LIMITING MEANS AND FOR MAINTAINING SAID GEAR SEGMENT IN SAID POSITION WHEN SAID MOTOR IS ENERGIZED; RESILIENT MEANS BETWEEN ONE OF SAID SUPPORT MEANS AND SAID GEAR SEGMENT FOR STORING UP ENERGY WHEN SAID MOTOR MOVES SAID GEAR SEGMENT IN SAID ONE DIRECTION; AND A REVERSE STOP LEVER ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID RATCHET WHEEL FOR PREVENTING THE REVERSE TURNING OF SAID CAM DRUM. 